Welcome to this moment.
Welcome to this opportunity to ground,
To calm,
To settle.
Find a comfortable,
Seated position.
Let yourself feel supported,
Relaxed,
Strong,
And steady in your seat.
We are amidst an unprecedented time of challenge,
Of instability.
We are amidst a storm of change.
As we sit here and now,
We create a refuge,
A calm in the center of the storm that is always here for you.
We have the ability to rest in presence.
Bring your awareness to your body,
Scanning the body,
Exploring feelings and sensations in the body.
Noticing areas of holding,
Areas of tension.
Do you notice fear or heaviness?
Meet the feelings in the body with a sense of gentleness.
Know that the body is working to care for you,
To protect you,
And to support you.
Allow the sensations of the body to begin to settle,
To drop down through the body and envision they are going into the earth beneath you.
Bringing an awareness to the breath now.
If you find it supportive,
You can place your hand gently on your belly,
Feeling the expansion and contraction of the diaphragm.
You are alive.
You are breathing.
You are right here.
You are alright,
Exactly as you are.
Follow the breath.
Breathing in.
And breathing out.
As humans,
We are built for these challenging times.
We are part of generations that have survived pandemics,
Wars,
Times of attrition.
Our makeup is that of resilience,
Strength,
And a deep sense of compassion that is stored at the core of your being.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Letting the breath be your refuge,
Your place of resting,
Settling,
And grounding in this moment.
If you drift,
Wander,
Feel the instability again,
That is perfectly fine.
Slowly come back to the breath,
To your grounded seat in the calm center,
Breathing in and breathing out.
Before we close,
Offering yourself gratitude and appreciation for this moment,
For this practice,
For all you are and for all you're evolving to be.